Some problems have no easy solutions and how to deal with a North Korea that is again threatening war is one of them. The proximity of Seoul to the world's most heavily armed border would let the North Koreans cause a lot of casualties and damage in the initial stages of an attack.

It is very important America and people throughout the world realize and internalize the potential for a million or more dead North Koreans and many of their neighbors to the south, this does make this situation dire indeed. The article below delves deeper into the situation.

Ahead of the 60th anniversary of Sputnik launch Michael Mandelbaum wonders whether the 1957 Soviet artificial satellite, that raised Cold War tensions and triggered an arms race between the US and the Soviet Union, would repeat itself on the Korean Peninsula today.
The launch of the first Sputnik satellite sent a stark message that the USSR "would soon be able to deliver a nuclear strike on the US mainland, calling into question the effectiveness of American deterrence." The world was stunned and Washington incredulous, because the US tested several varieties of rockets and missiles, which all failed. What alarmed the US was that the Soviet Union also tested the first intercontinental ballistic missile that year. Dwight Eisenhower tried to downplay the importance of the Sputnik launch and poured additional funds and resources into the space program in an effort to catch up.
There was fear that the US would have to declare war on the USSR, if Western Europe came under attack. This could inevitably invite a nuclear strike "on its own territory" from Moscow. In the face of this "novel and dangerous problem," there were "four possible solutions" available for America and its allies: "preemption, defense, proliferation, and deterrence." The question is whether these four options can be applied to North Korea.
During his visit to China, Japan and South Korea in mid-March, Rex Tillerson revealed that Washington’s policy of “strategic patience” towards North Korea was over, and he didn't rule out a pre-emptive strike against Pyongyang, if the threat reached a level that required action. The North is said to have long-range ballistic missiles soon that could strike America's West Coast. Two weeks earlier the North vowed to launch a pre-emptive strike against the US, amplifying its threatening rhetoric hours before athe UN Security Council voted to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang for a recent nuclear test.
This situation presents a typical example of a Hobbesian trap, when - out of fear of an imminent attack - the US and North Korea both contemplate launching a preemptive strike on one another. An attack on the North’s nuclear arsenal would be highly risky if no reliable intelligence were available. It would likely start "a second Korean War. The North would surely lose, and the regime would collapse, but probably not until it inflicted terrible damage on South Korea, and perhaps also on Japan" in retaliation.
Fears of being targeted by North Korea will trigger an arms race in Asia. If Pyongyang can't be persuaded by China or the US to rein in its nuclear ambition, Japan and South Korea, or even Taiwan would see no choice but opting for their own nuclear defence, instead of relying on America's security umbrella. There's the danger that "some of them would lack the capacity for 'assured destruction' – that is, the ability to absorb a nuclear strike and still inflict devastating damage on the attacker. Without such a capacity, a nuclear-armed country has a much greater incentive than the US and the Soviet Union did to launch a first strike if it suspects that it will be attacked."
Seoul's decision to install Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) - an American anti-ballistic missile system which is designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate range ballistic missiles - has enraged Beijing, even though it aims to deter North Korea. The system doesn't carry warheads and can't be deployed to hit China. But Beijing fears the sophisticated radar capabilities included in the system could be used to track its own missile systems, potentially giving the US a major advantage in any future conflict with China. Beijing is also concerned about the US using both South Korea and Japan to contain China in the future.
To combat nuclear proliferation ought to be in China's interest. Only a denuclearised Korean Peninsula will guarantee peace and stability in the region. The leadership in Beijing is keen on securing economic growth. It has also the political and economic clout to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear ambition, while maintaining it as a buffer state. A collapse of the Kim regime would be a nightmare for Beijing, as it could unleash a massive influx of refugees into China and bring about a unified Korea under the auspices of the South, which is a protégé of the US.

North Korea is an sattelite of PRC. Pretty useful, with nuclear threat. The regime cannot even survive a week without PRC's approval. It is time to call PRC's bluff. It is time to make it clear to PRC that any threat from North Korea shall be considered as a threat from PRC.

Wait. There, soon will be a midnight tweet from President Trump as to how N. Korea mess should have been handled by Obama! This time he will send his daughter Ivanka to Seoul to soothes the nerves of S. Koreans!

The author thinks that a nuclear power which lacks “assured destruction” – that is, the ability to absorb a nuclear strike and still inflict devastating damage on the attacker 'has a much greater incentive than the US and the Soviet Union did to launch a first strike if it suspects that it will be attacked.'
This is not the case. A first strike only makes sense if you can be sure of wiping out the other side's deterrent. However, all nuclear powers either invest in a second strike capacity or else have an alliance with a Great Power with such capacity.
It is a different matter that fear of a first strike may actually cause a first strike- however, in these cases, a protocol exists to avoid this eventuality.
North Korea does not fear a first strike because it can retaliate from silos near the Chinese border which are off limits for obvious reasons. It won't carry out a first strike because it will be wiped out completely.
America needs to stop meddling. It's diplomats really aren't smart. In the past, there may have been some point to a President grandstanding on this issue. But Trump tweeting about this exposes the stupidity of such meddling in a manner which provokes ridicule, not respect, in Chancelleries across the Globe.

"China’s bigger fear is the collapse of the Kim regime, which would send a wave of unwanted refugees across its border and could create a new and unwanted neighbor: a reunified Korean state allied with the US. " I should China would have no trouble preventing refugees pouring over their border. America should agree with China, that if it allows the North to collapse, it will pull out of the South, ASAP. I should think that China would love a thriving neighbor rather than a troublesome, desperate neighbor.

If holding nuke capability puts NK on par with the USSR as a threat to the US it is hardly unlikely NK will not want nukes. Same applies elsewhere. Nukes are an established technology. Using Cold War strategy is unlikely to put the cat back in the bag

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